Endometriosis Surgery

Please read further about our statistical analysis and follow up of patient’s endometriosis surgery in the Endometriosis Surgery Success Rates sub-topic.Our typical new patient presents with a complex medical history, which includes an average of:

• 3.4 previous surgeries for Endometriosis
• 11 years of pain prior to diagnosis
• Multiple previous failed treatments ~ Hormones, Hysterectomy, etc.
• Previous surgical ablation, cauterization, fulguration with return of pain and incomplete removal of disease

Dr. Cook’s excision endometriosis surgery has enable patients to obtain the long-term desired results not commonly documented by other providers:

• 2/3 report ongoing reduction of symptoms of at least 75% or more
• Over half of patients report 90% or better improvement in their pain
• Our post operative follow up is ongoing, now documented to 13 years
• Patients are surveyed at 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, and annually post operatively
• Less than 10% of patients are found to have pathologically confirmed endometriosis at re-operation

Read more about this in our Endometriosis Surgery: Post-Surgical Follow-Up sub-topic.

• Our Endometriosis Surgery Center is unique in that we offer ongoing care related to your Endometriosis Surgery through one year post operatively, wherever in the world you happen to be. Additionally, we follow up annually with patients, to monitor patient progress and accurately record results.
• Seeing an expert who follows up annually with his patients may give you the confidence to bring your case to us – because we understand what you have been through, with ineffective or incomplete treatment, and we can help.
• Many of our previous patients are happy to talk with prospective patients, and have testimonies to share. Please inquire if this would be a help to you in planning your endometriosis surgery.
• When considering endometriosis surgery with other providers, ask about their practice’s documented results, length of follow up, specific surgical technique, and patient testimonials to compare.

We understand the importance of providing clear and detailed information about our approach to endometriosis surgery, including the timeline, treatment and surgical process. See the sub-topic How to Properly Treat Endometriosis for information which may help you understand why the particular type of endometriosis surgery done previously may have failed to help you.

Key reasons previous surgeries may have failed include:

• Incomplete and Inadequate Surgery
• Failure to find a true excision specialist
• Reliance on Hormone Therapy
• Failure to treat other conditions associated with endometriosis

Knowledgeable and Effective Treatment starts with:

• Listening to the patient
• Comprehensive history and exams
• Forming a plan of action
• Consulting with a skilled excision surgeon

Select a skilled excision surgeon and clinic:

• Complete surgical excision of all areas of endometriosis
• Clinical & administrative support for traveling patients
• On-going follow up care
• Proven expertise to handle complex cases:
  See sub-topic: Is My Case Too Complex?

Be sure you and your surgeon know about the physics of surgical tools and procedures. See the sub-topic What is Wide Surgical Excision? Learn about:

• Subtle disease and why it may be missed
• The advantages of Thermal Excision over Mechanical Excision
• CO2 Laser and its choice as a superior cutting tool
• Linear Vaporization – Which is NOT burning, coagulation, or fulguration

Don’t miss the video of Dr. Cook’s surgical technique demonstrating Wide Excision using the Carbon 13 CO2  LASER on the What is Wide Surgical Excision Page.

Have you had surgery in the past which hasn’t yielded the results you desired? You may be interested in reading the sub-topic Why is Excision More Effective in Treating Endometriosis than Other Surgical Techniques? Key advantages described in greater detail include:

• No damage to underlying healthy tissue
• The ability to leave clean margins of healthy tissue
• A proven reliable way to ensure all disease is removed
• Safe to use in all areas of the pelvis
• Greatly reduced risk of damaging other vital pelvic structures
• Clean samples for biopsy and pathological examination

When you have advanced stage disease, you need to see a surgeon with years of experience treating invasive disease.See the sub-topic Can Dr. Cook Operate on the Bowel, Bladder, Ureters & Diaphragm? for information on how to successfully eradicate invasive disease, and specialist follow up care.

Critical areas of discussion for Complex Endometriosis Surgery:

• Invasive Bowel Disease:
  Learn the difference between a possible unnecessary segmental resection & advanced skilled surgery to preserve your organs
• Diaphragmatic Disease:
  Be certain your surgeon has the knowledge and expertise to completely diagnose, teat, and surgically visualize and remove this disease.
• Informed Consent:
  You should always be fully informed and aware of your surgical options and choices. At Vital Health Endometriosis Center, the surgical process is methodical and informed, so you will not feel rushed along the way. All questions are thoroughly answered and explained in several pre-operative consultations ahead of your surgery.